At a recent conference of the American Heart Association research was presented that shows more evidence of the damage that smoking can do. Children of women who smoked while they were pregnant had carotid arteries with thicker walls than those whose mothers did not smoke. Thicker artery walls increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Another study published in the European Respiratory Journal found that kids who have a certain variant of a gene called interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) are harmed more by their mothers’ smoking while pregnant with them. More specifically, they were over 4 times as likely to get asthma compared to those with other variants of the gene - but only if their mothers’ smoked.

According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology pregnant women are more likely to have injuries that they need to be hospitalized for than was previously believed. Fractures, strains, sprains, dislocations, crushing injuries, poisoning and bruises were the most common reasons for the hospitalizations. Car accidents and falls were the most common reasons for the injuries.

Pregnant women with gum disease have a greater chance of delivering their babies prematurely according to a study in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Researchers publishing in the The Journal of Nutrition have found that pregnant women and their newborn babies in the northern part of the United States have vitamin D levels that are too low. In their study 80% of AA women and almost half of the caucasian women had levels that were too low when they delivered even though almost all of them had been taken prenatal vitamins.

(Technorati Tags: smoking, pregnant , pregnancy)